THIS AVALANCHE WARNING IS FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL UTAH, TO INCLUDE THE BEAR RIVER RANGE, THE WESTERN UINTAS AND THE WASATCH PLATEAU. RAPID WARMING AND DIRECT SUN WILL CREATE DANGEROUS AND UNSTABLE AVALANCHE CONDITIONS. NATURAL AND HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES ARE LIKELY. BACKCOUNTRY TRAVEL ON OR BELOW STEEP MOUNTAIN SLOPES IS NOT RECOMMENDED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

A HIGH danger exists in the backcountry. Natural and human triggered wet and dry avalanches up to 5’ deep are likely with daytime warming. Remotely triggered slides remain likely on a variety of aspects and elevations. Travel on or beneath steep mountain terrain is not recommended.

Skies are clearing and the northwesterly winds have dropped down to less than 15mph at all but the 11,000’ ridgelines. Temperatures have spiked at least 15 degrees in their upward march into the mid 30s to low 40s today. Greenhousing put something of a wet blanket on much of the cold snow yesterday, but for this season, coverage and riding conditions are 5 star.

These are dangerous times, friends. Books and books have been written about our inability to adjust or adapt to change. Today’s direct sun and rapid warming will dramatically alter the ‘mechanics’ of our conditionally unstable, layered snowpack in northern and central Utah. I don’t like it.

It was a little over a month ago – January 28th – that I wrote on that morning’s advisory -

“It’s gonna be one of those days - Bluebird, light wind, 5 star powder (for this year anyway). Truth be told, it’s also days like these where we see avalanche accidents. Discipline, self-denial – these are things we not only aspire to – it’s what keeps us alive in conditions like these.”

Sadly, it proved true – we suffered our 2nd fatality of the year that day on Kessler Peak above Big Cottonwood Canyon. Today – Sunday March 4th – will be much the same.

Rescue teams in the La Sals are looking for a missing snowmobiler buried in a significant avalanche debris pile. You can check the updated Accident Report in progress here and all the individual reports of avalanches here.

You can read up on the close call in the 'Toilet Bowl' of the Snowbasin backcountry from two days ago here.

In the Central Wasatch, numerous human triggered avalanches filtered in – one near Mt. Aire that snapped trees in the runout 1200’ below, one with control work in the mid-canyon that left a debris pile 6’ deep and 60’ wide on Little Cottonwood road, one that reportedly resulted a full burial and live recovery in Porter Fork of Mill Creek. The details –

· Lambs Canyon – a ski cut released a 2-3’ deep and 300’ wide avalanche on a northeast facing slope at 8200’.

· Reynolds East face shoulder - A snowboarder descending the ridge remotely triggered a 2-3’ deep and 300’ wide avalanche there at 9300’ on the east-southeast face.

· Mineral Fork of BCC – a skier descending a steep west facing slope at 8500’ between Kessler and East Mineral remotely triggered a 2-3’ deep and 125’ wide avalanche.

· West Willow Heights – either natural, cornice, or remotely triggered slide pulled out a slab estimated at 3-5’ deep and upwards of 1000’ wide on a steep east to northeast facing slope at 9600’.

· West Porter of Mill Creek – likely remotely triggered slide on the headwall pulling out 2-3’ deep and 300’ wide in the steep northeast facing headwall. Overran the skin track.

· Porter Fork of Mill Creek – sketchy details of a full burial and live recovery.

· Mt Aire – a cornice drop remotely triggered a 3’ deep and 75’ wide avalanche, snapping 6” dbh trees 1200’ below. It was on a steep east facing slope at 8500’.

· Brighton Backcountry above Lake Mary – ski cut pulls out a 2’ deep 50’ wide slide on a northeast facing slope above 10k.

· West Monitor – few details on a slide in the bowl – west facing at 9500’ 2’ deep and 100’ wide.

Toilet Bowl pic below (Snowbasin snowsafety) two days ago

Wewer pic of natural on Ben Lomond headwall from two days ago -

Clearing skies, light wind, and soaring temps. We’ll see 10k temps march to near 30 degrees while 8000’ temps crest 40 degrees. The next two days will also be warm ahead of a storm for Tuesday night.

If you trigger an avalanche in the backcountry - especially if you are adjacent to a ski area – please call the following teams to alert them to the slide and whether anyone is missing or not. Rescue teams can be exposed to significant hazard when responding to avalanches, and do not want to do so when unneeded. Thanks.

Salt Lake and Park City – Alta Central (801-742-2033)

Ogden – Snowbasin Patrol Dispatch (801-620-1017)

Provo – Sundance Patrol Dispatch (801-223-4150)

Dawn Patrol Forecast Hotline, updated by 05:30: 888-999-4019 option 8.

Twitter Updates for your mobile phone http://utahavalanchecenter.org/twitter)

Daily observations are frequently posted by 10 pm each evening.

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UDOT canyon closures UDOT at (801) 975-4838

Wasatch Powderbird Guides does daily updates about where they'll be operating on this blog http://powderbird.blogspot.com/ .

You have the opportunity to participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting avalanche and snow observations. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, or email by clicking HERE

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We will update this forecast tomorrow morning. Thanks for calling.